title: Interferon alpha-2b as therapy for patients with Ph'-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.
abstract: We treated 114 Ph'+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, 105 of whom were in chronic phase (CP) and 9 in accelerated phase (AP), with interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) at intermittent or daily doses of 2-5 MU/m2. Of 35 previously untreated CP patients, 22 (63%) showed complete hematological response (CHR). This was significantly influenced by initial risk status. In 19 of the 22 CHR patients the median of Ph'+ cells decreased from 100% to 58%. Of 36 patients pretreated for less than 12 months, 19 (53%) achieved CHR. CHR rate was significantly related to IFN dose. Cytogenetic improvement was observed in 15 of the 19 patients, the median of Ph'+ cells dropping from 100% to 76%, with complete suppression of the Ph' chromosome in 1 case. Of the 34 patients pretreated for greater than 12 months, 21 (62%) obtained CHR. Cytogenetic improvement was observed in 10 cases, the median of Ph'+ cells declining from 100% to 66%. 1 of 9 AP patients obtained CHR. After a median follow-up of 32 months for the 63 CHR patients, 49 (78%) are still in disease control: 34 on IFN therapy, 15 after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (13 autologous and 2 allogeneic). Blastic transformation (BT) occurred in 9 of 63 (14%) CHR patients and in 24 of 51 (47%) patients with less than CHR. IFN alpha-2b has proved to be an effective treatment for CML. Its combination with other treatment modalities represents an interesting and promising approach for future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biopathology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alimena
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzarino
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Liberati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montefusco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inverardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grignani
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins